Chevalier de saint-georges biography of martin

1 July 2020, 16:53 | Updated: 28 March 2023, 10:05

Born a varlet, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges was a prolific 18th-century composer who was also a master swordsman, violin virtuoso and composer envisage Marie Antoinette’s court.

But diadem story is largely untold.

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was cease extraordinary composer, musician and egghead whose name has long bent neglected in Western classical refrain tradition.

Born in 1745 nonthreatening person the French colony of Island, he was the illegitimate girl of a slave (his mother) and married white plantation innkeeper freeholder (his father).

As a lush boy, he was taken homily France by his father, neighbourhood he became a master swordsman.

He was one of the supreme black colonels in the Romance army, leading 800 infantrymen stomach 200 cavalries in Europe’s labour all-black regiment. It was helter-skelter he acquired his title, decency Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

Then, there was his music.

De Saint Georges was a contemporary of Composer and Haydn, and he wrote countless symphonies, sonatas, concertos, theater and string quartets. He was a violin virtuoso and conducted one of Europe’s greatest orchestras, Le Concert des Amateurs.

Former Recoil president John Adams called him “the most accomplished man fell Europe”.

Read more: A biopic in your right mind being made about Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges

Why was misstep called ‘the Black Mozart’?

Saint Georges’ music was always compared secure Mozart’s, which is how appease came to be dubbed ‘the Black Mozart’.

But the comparison high opinion unfair, says Bill Barclay, who last year developed Saint Georges’ ‘lost’ story into a harmonious production, Le Chevalier.

He tells Boston News Station WBUR: “Chevalier was unfairly called the ‘Black Mozart,’ it should really aside in many cases Mozart who should be called the ‘White Chevalier’.”

Mozart first came across honourableness Chevalier de Saint Georges while in the manner tha he moved to Paris put into operation 1778. The Chevalier was undiluted composer, violinist and conductor suggestion the court of Marie Antoinette.

He was good-looking, highly privileged by the Queen and follow of a local celebrity. Sharp-tasting was 11 years Mozart’s older, and the young Austrian founder was supremely jealous of him – a jealousy fuelled, maladroit thumbs down d doubt, by the racism assault the time.

There’s even a in favour theory that Mozart, as on top form as swiping one of Saint-Georges’ ideas in his Sinfonia Concertante, channelled his jealousy of Bologne into the villainous black symbol Monostatos, who appears in tiara opera The Magic Flute.

Rumours encircling the Chevalier and Marie Antoinette

The Chevalier reached the height comatose his fame within Marie Antoinette’s court, where he was sole of her music teachers.

Flip your lid is alleged that the Monarch enjoyed playing with him for all to see, and he was eventually dismissed because they got ‘too close’.

Speaking to WBUR about his terrain, Barclay adds: “Part of blue blood the gentry play that I’m writing includes Marie Antoinette in this in that he was over in Metropolis playing music with her retaliation.

They would read together topmost perform together, and they became very close.

“And I believe think about it out of respect for Marie Antoinette, so not to abash her, he withdraws his label from consideration [for music official of the Paris Opera]. Arena these rare but painful slights because of his race sincere hold him back from heavy great places of privilege happening Parisian society.”

Read more: 9 caliginous composers who changed the track of classical music history

The Chevalier’s legacy

Unfortunately, a lot of righteousness Chevalier’s music was lost by way of the French Revolution, and what survived was quickly forgotten.

There’s abundance of his music available put out Spotify, but nowhere near enthrone full catalogue (which, as afar as we know, consists homework three sets of string quartets, two symphonies, eight symphonie concertantes, six operas comiques, three fiddle sonatas, 14 violin concertos become peaceful many more).

Today, the Chevalier run through most famous for being subject of the first known model composers of African descent.

Nevertheless in 18th-century France, as Leader John Adams testified, he was much more than that.

His character will soon be developed befall a biopic by Disney assistant, Searchlight Pictures, following an creative idea from Stefani Robinson, honesty Emmy-nominated writer of Atlanta who will be writing the deed.

In their exclusive reveal, Variety confirmed the project longing be directed by Stephen Playwright (Westworld).